Safety equipment for ships, barges and the like



Jan. 21, 1964 R. D. SMITH 3,113,412

SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPS, BARGES AND THE LIKE Filed Oct, 17, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR.

R. D. SMITH Jan. 21, 1964 SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPS, BARGES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 17, 1962 INVENTOR. Z0345??? D. SI WT? United States Patent 3,118,412 SAFETY EQUIRMENT FOR SHIPS, BARGES AND THE LIKE Robert D. Smith, 2742 E. Tremont Ave., Bronx, N.Y. Filed Get. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 231,140 2 Claims. (Cl. 114-68) This invention relates to safety equipment for vessels at sea. More particularly it relates to flotation devices for ships, barges and the like.

One object of the present invention is to provide selfcontained means within a vessel for sustaining flotation thereof in case the hull of the vessel is punctured permitting sea water to pour into the interior of the vessel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vessel having self-contained means for righting itself to a level or even keel position in case sea water pours through a hole in the hull flooding one or more of the bulkheads, which would ordinarily make the ship list to one side. I

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a vessel having a plurality of air blankets which may be selectively lowered around the outer sides of the hull down to the keel, such air blankets being inflatable.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a vessel having a plurality of air sacks within the interior of the hull, each sack being located within one of the bulkhead compartments, and each being selectively inflatable.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a safety device for ships and barges bearing the above objects in mind which is of a relatively simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eflicient in operation and use.

For the other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference maybe had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a ship shown incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional perspective a view thereof showing the invention elements in greater detail;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a ship incorporating the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of one of the air blanket assemblies;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a portion of the chain;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view thereof shown assembled;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another portion of the chain;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of an auxiliary ladder;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view through lines 10-10 of FIG. 4;

:FIG. 11 is a detail of the air blanket;

FIG. 12 is a perspective View of an auxiliary blanket in operative use;

FIG. 13 is a front view thereof; and

FIG. 14 is a side cross sectional view of a modified construction showing an auxiliary air blanket between the chain and hull.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral 10 represents a seagoing vessel according to the present invention wherein there is an air blanket system 11 which extends from stem to stern, as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawing.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 the air blanket system is comprised of a plurality of air blanket assemblies 12, each of which is adjacent the other.

Each of the air blanket assemblies is aflixed to the outer side of the hull 13 and is comprised of a collapsible, inflatable air blanket 14, storage means 15 for the air blanket when in a collapsed condition, a conveyor chain assembly 16 for carrying the air blanket downward to the keel, power means 17 for actuating the conveyor chain assembly, and compressed air means 18 for inflating the air blanket after it is in the lower position.

The air blanket 14 comprises a waterproof and airproof member made preferably from a rubberized fabric or the like which is resistant to tearing, and which in an inflated position bears the general shape of the adjacent hull contour. It is comprised of front and rear vertically depend ing panels 19, vertically depending side panels, top panel 21, bottom panel 22 and a plurality of partitions 23 which divide the central area into compartments 24. An air inlet fitting 25 is provided in the top panel and a one way valve 26 is provided in each of the partitions to admit air downwardly into the lower compartment therebelow. Straps outside the blanket offer support. In an inoperative position, the air blanket is stored in a collapsed position near the upper edge of the ship side, as shown in FIGURE 2. In a collapsed position the air blanket is folded in a pleated manner as shown and is enclosed within a housing 27 which comprises the storage means 15. This housing comprises a boxlike container having a top wall 23, a front wall 29 and bottom wall 30 which protect the air blanket against the weather elements, the housing being open on its rear side and being afiixed by means of a bracket 31 to the hull of the ship.

The conveyor chain assembly 16 comprises an endless chain 32 which extends from the upper edge 33 of the ship side downwardly to the keel 34. The chain passes across gear 35 near the upper edge of the ship side and on the outer side of the hull, the chain passing across gear 36 attached to the underside of the keel. To keep the chain spaced apart from the hull and prevent friction thereagainst, additional sprockets 36 may be provided intermittently along the outwardly curved bulge 37. A ring 38 may also be provided to maintain the chain in correct position relative to the hull, the chain passing through the ring as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4.

As shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, the chain is comprised of strong links 39 having central openings 40 within which the teeth 41 of gears 35 and 36 project for driving operation. The links are spaced apart by steel blocks 42 of relatively great strength. Each of the links has a pro jecting pallet 43 at one end longitudinally and has a transverse opening 44 therethrough. The steel block has an open central slot 45 and a transverse opening 46 communicating therewith. The link pallets project into the slot 45 and a heavy pin 47 extends through the openings 44 of two adjacent links and through the opening 46, thus assembling the chain elements. At several spaced apart positions along the chain the pin 47 is substituted with a hook pin 48 shown in FIGURES 7, 2 and 4 of the drawing which are for the purpose of grasping the air blanket and drawing it downwardly to the keel. The air blanket is provided with a plurality of book elements 49 which are riveted at spaced apart positions on the rear panel thereof, the hook position thereof extending into the path of the hook portion of the chain hook pins 48. It is to be noted that the mouths of the hooks on the air blankets and chain oppose each other so that they will readily grasp each other.

Adjacent the upper and lower side of the gear 36 there is a snap clip 49, the clip being relatively close to the gear and affixed in stationary position relative to the hull. At one point of the chain a Single link 59 is made of sufiicient width to pass over the teeth of gear 36 and also both clips 49.

The ring element 38 rigidly aifixed to the hull includes (J a central opening 51 through which both legs of the endless chain pass. A slot 52 is provided to allow clearance of hook pins 48. Enlarged recesses 53 are also provided to allow clearance for the large link 50.

The power means 17 includes a crank 54 conveniently located for operation as shown in FIGURE 2, the crank driving gear 35. Compressed air means 18 also shown conveniently located on deck include an air compressor 55 driven by any convenient power. Over the compressor there is a storage cabinet 56 for containing hose 57.

In operative use, should the vessel sustain a hull damage, as shown by the hole 58 below the water line 59 (shown in FIGURE 2), the neighboring air blanket assemblies are placed into flotation positions to overcome the loss of flotation by that portion of the hull. The hose 57 is connected to the air blanket and the crank 54 is turned, thus turning the chain to travel over gears 35 and 36. That portion of the chain passing downwardly includes the hook pins which clasp with the hook elements 49 of the blanket as they pass by, thus dragging the blanket downwardly. When the blanket has reached the keel, link 59 snaps into clips 49, thus locking the entire chain in place. The compressor is turned on and air is forced into the air blanket passing through the one way valves from one compartment to another.

Should any difliculty be encountered during the operation of the device, a collapsible ladder 58 made from chains 59 and rungs 60 is attached to hooks 61 aflixed to the hull alongside each conveyor chain assembly, and one or two frogmen or divers aboard ship can descend the ladder to locate the trouble and correct it.

As shown in FIGURE 2 additional flotation means can be provided by a collapsible air sack 61 within each bulkhead deck 62. The sack is made of waterproof air leakproof rubberized fabric. An air supply system 63 extends from the air compressor to each deck, and a valve 64 on each deck can be selectively turned on after connection is made with the air sack therein. If the deck is loaded with goods, the air sack will fill out within the space between the goods and the ceiling.

A further member of this invention includes an air blanket 65 which can be dropped over the side of the vessel and placed over the hole 66 in the hull for the purpose of stopping or minimizing the leakage of sea water into the hull' This blanket could be fitted between the outer side of the hull and the chain in which position it could be inflated by means of an air hose 67 connected to the air compressor. In an inflated condition the blanket will be tightly wedged in place between hull and chain.

A further modified form of this invention incorporates an auxiliary air blanket 68 which is operative between the ship hull and chain. This auxiliary blanket is retained in a folded condition in housing 15 in a manner similar to that for air blanket 14. When the chain is 4 moved, it attaches thereto both the air blanket 14 and the auxiliary blanket which are drawn out down to the keel. The auxiliary blanket is relatively thinner in thickness than blanket 14 as the space between the hull and the chain is not wide. This auxiliary blanket would thus be easily brought into place to cover any hole in the hull, and it would be separately inflatable from blanket 14. Thus, where there is no hole in the hull, but flotation is desired, only blanket 14 would be inflated even though the auxiliary blanket has been pulled down to the keel.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a vessel incorporating flotation safety means, the combination of a hull, an air blanket system comprised of a plurality of air blanket assemblies disposed around the outer sides of the hull in laterally adjacent position to each other, each of said air blanket assemblies comprising an unfoldable air blanket, means for retaining said air blanket in a folded collapsed position adjacent the upper edge of the hull, chain conveyor systems aflixed to the outer side of said hull having means for grasping said blankets and carrying one end of said blankets downwardly adjacent the keel of said hull, thus unfolding said blankets, means for inflating said blankets when in said downward position, said chain conveyor systems each comprising an endless chain having periodically spaced apart hook elements, said chain passing over a plurality of gears disposed along the outer side of said hull between said upper end of the hull and said keel, said air blanket including a plurality of spaced apart hook elements within the path of said endless chain hook elements whereby said endless chain hook elements engage said air blanket hook elements when said chain is moving downwardly, said chain rotating about a plurality of axis which are transverse to the outer side of said hull.

2. In a vessel the combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lowermost of said gears includes a snap clip adjacent and relatively close to each side of said gear, said clips being aflixed in stationary position to said hull and in alignment with the links of said chain, and said chain having a single link which is relatively wider than all other links thereof, said wider link being engageable with said clips when passing thereupon, to substantially lock said chain in stationary position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 972,180 Fugazzi Oct. 11, 1910 1,170,095 Neumann Feb. 1, 1916 1,283,345 Sova Oct. 29, 1918 

1. IN A VESSEL INCORPORATING FLOTATION SAFETY MEANS, THE COMBINATION OF A HULL, AN AIR BLANKET SYSTEM COMPRISED OF A PLURALITY OF AIR BLANKET ASSEMBLIES DISPOSED AROUND THE OUTER SIDES OF THE HULL IN LATERALLY ADJACENT POSITION TO EACH OTHER, EACH OF SAID AIR BLANKET ASSEMBLIES COMPRISING AN UNFOLDABLE AIR BLANKET, MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID AIR BLANKET IN A FOLDED COLLAPSED POSITION ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE OF THE HULL, CHAIN CONVEYOR SYSTEMS AFFIXED TO THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID HULL HAVING MEANS FOR GRASPING SAID BLANKETS AND CARRYING ONE END OF SAID BLANKETS DOWNWARDLY ADJACENT THE KEEL OF SAID HULL, THUS UNFOLDING SAID BLANKETS, MEANS FOR INFLATING SAID BLANKETS WHEN IN SAID DOWNWARD POSITION, SAID CHAIN CONVEYOR SYSTEMS EACH COMPRISING AN ENDLESS CHAIN HAVING PERIODICALLY SPACED APART HOOK ELEMENTS, SAID CHAIN PASSING OVER A PLURALITY OF GEARS DISPOSED ALONG THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID HULL BETWEEN SAID UPPER END OF THE HULL AND SAID KEEL, SAID AIR BLANKET INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART HOOK ELEMENTS WITHIN THE PATH OF SAID ENDLESS CHAIN HOOK ELEMENTS WHEREBY SAID ENDLESS CHAIN HOOK ELEMENTS ENGAGE SAID AIR BLANKET HOOK ELEMENTS WHEN SAID CHAIN IS MOVING DOWNWARDLY, SAID CHAIN ROTATING ABOUT A PLURALITY OF AXIS WHICH ARE TRANSVERSE TO THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID HULL. 